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(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 1; K. DE KESEL.

BEEHIVE No. 592,626. Patented Oct. 26,1891

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

K. DE KESEL. BEEHIVE No. 592,626. Patented Oct. 26,1897.

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' (No Model.) 4 Sheets-SheetB. K. DE KESEL.

BEEHIVE Patented Oct. 26, 1897.

(No Model.) ,4 Sheets-Sheet4. K. DE-lKESEL.

' BEEHIVE No. 592,626. Patented Oct. 26,1897.

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BEEHIVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LetterS Pate'IItELZ 592,626, dated October 26, 1897. Application filed'ootober 2778, 1896. Serial No. 610,380. (No model.) Patented in Belgium December 28, 1895, No. 119,127.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, KAREL DE KESEL, a Belgian subject, residing at Brussels, Belgi um, have invented new and useful Improvem cuts in Beehives, (for whichI have obtained a patentin Belgium, No. 119,127, bearing date December 28, 1895,) of which the follo'wingis a specification.

My invention consists in a novel construe t-ion of beehive, the'object'of which is to provide a beehive of simple and economical construction offering for the wintering ofthe bees the same advantages in regard toconservation of heat as the old bell or dome shaped hives and affording beside every facil-' terial, thus permitting the bees of the two swarms to cluster together in such, a manner as to form for the winter a single ball-shaped cluster divided only by the said partition.

In order that my invention may be well understood, I will describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of'the hive, showing the frames swung sidewise for examination. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the hive as seen from above. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the lower front wall of the hive and part of the lower rear wall detached, showing how the frames are slid into or out of the hive. Fig. 4 is a similar detached view showing how the frames are swung sidewise for examination. I

As will be seen in Fig. l, the beehive consists of a box A of rectangular section, having any desired length and resting diagonally on supports B of suitable shape in such a manner that the part which is uppermost forms an angle similar to the ridge of a roof. The box A is furnished with an open side 0, adapted to receive a lid fitting closely enough to cause the heat to accumulate in the upper angle of the boX and to remain there, as in bell or dome shaped hives.

The frames D, which are approximately of the same section as the interior of the hive,

slidediagonally into place along the lower front wall a and rest against the lower rear The side 01 of the frame which slides The other two sides of the frame are like wise furnished near each end with projection, pieces 6, which keep them ata small distance from the lower rear wall a. The frame carries on one of its faces on the two sides adjacent to the top and at a slight distance therefrom lateral spacers f, which are designed to maintain a space between neighboringframes. These lateral spacers,which may be of any suitable shape,may be formed, as represented, of a small m'etalplate bent in the middle and secured at both ends to the frame, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

The lower rear walla of the hive is furnished near its top and bottom edges with two rows of spacers g, placed at a distance from each other slightly greater than the breadth or thickness of the frame and formed,preferably, of small arched pieces of wire, the breadth of which is determined by the distance which it is desired to maintain between the frames.

The lower front wall a of the hive is made with a series of shallow grooves or guides h,

sides of the frames rests in the groove near the bottom of the hive, while the other rests on the plain portion 2' of the lower front'wall a, the effect being that when the partition m is moved or some of the frames are out the other frames may be oscillated or swung sidewise, as shown in Fig. 2, for inspecting them without necessity for withdrawing them from the hive.

ll, Fig. 1, are apertures in the lower rear wall a for passage of the bees.

For supporting the hive in the diagonal position I prefer to employ a support B like that illustrated in Fig. 1, which fits into staples secured on the sides of the hive. For removal of the hive from one place to another these supports are withdrawn and replaced by bars furnished with handles or by long bars or poles like those of a hand-barrow.

Although I have represented in the drawin gs a hive capable of accommodating several swarms of bees, it is obvious that the hive may be constructed for one swarm only by merely reducing the length of the case, while, on the other hand, twenty, thirty, or a greater number of swarms may be housed in a hive of suitable length.

It will be understood that the device is a complete beehive, and the insertion and withdrawal of the frames being rendered very easy the latter can be made much larger than usual. The frames occupy the central portion of the box or hive, and the bees store their honey on the sides of the brood-nest, and they lay up in the upper angle of the brood-frames a sufficient quantity of honey for their winter requirements. In the spring the hive may be enlarged in proportion to the increase of population by adding empty frames on either side.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is

1. A beehive comprising the diagonally-arranged box having an open side adapted to be closed by a lid, the sliding frames, the spacers carried by the lower rear wall of the box opposite the open side, the guides extending part way from said lower rear wall to the opposite side and the projections on the corners of the frames, the lower ones of which engage said guides and the upper ones resting on the plain wall above the guides, substantially as described.

2. A beehive comprising the diagonally-arranged box having an open side, the spacers upon the lower rear wall, the guides upon the lower front wall extending from said lower rear wall part way to the open side, the sliding frames, projections on the corners of the frames, the lower ones of which engage said guides and the upper ones engaging the plain wall above the guides and lateral spacers carried by the front portions'of the frames, substantially as described.

3. A beehive comprising the diagonally-arranged box having an open side, the lower front wall of said box having a plain rabbeted portion and having also transverse grooves extending from the rabbeted portion to the lower rear wall of the box, the sliding frames, projections on the corners of the frames, the lower ones of which engage said grooves while the upper ones rest upon said plain rabbeted portion, spacers carried by the lower rear wall of the box for engaging the frames, and lateral spacers carried by the front portions of the frames, substantially as described.

KAREL DE KESEL. [L. s] Witnesses FELIX PROVE, H. T. V. KIRKPATRICK. 

